This invention relates to light-emitting walking aids.
Many illuminated walking aids are known. None, however, have optionally directional illumination in a manner taught by this invention.
Examples of most-closely related known but yet different illuminated walking aids are described in the following patent documents. U.S. Pat. No. 5,351,704, issued to Hunnicutt, Jr., et al. on Oct. 4, 1994, described a walking cane having a transparent shaft illuminated downwardly by a bulb that reflected optionally against bottom tip reflectors in addition to dispensing light radially through the transparent shaft. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 2,642,519, issued to Caustin, et al. on Jun. 27, 1949 described a luminous cane with transparent walls through which light was emitted, but with less effective tip reflectors. U.S. Pat. No. 4,625,742, issued to Phillips on Dec. 2, 1986, described a lighted walking cane with light-emitting orifices of various shapes that emitted light from a central source but did not have side reflectors taught by this invention nor tip reflectors taught by the Hunnicutt patent.
Illumination for walking aids remains a serious problem for much of the handicapped and increasingly aged portion of society. Enabling differences from prior art need not be great to make a great difference to disabled people. Much time and effort has been spent over long periods of time by users of walking aids to improve their mobility. Refinement changes and modification of prior art can be crucial.
Objects of patentable novelty and utility taught by this invention are to provide a directionally illuminated walking aid which:
allows selection of optionally forward, rearward and/or sideward directional lighting from a shaft of a walking aid;
allows selectively proportional forward, rearward and/or sideward lighting from the shaft of the walking aid; and
lights areas and objects in addition to walkways.
This invention accomplishes these and other objectives with a directionally illuminated walking aid having; a shaft that is predeterminedly transparent with an internal light directed vertically from a top reflector towards a bottom cap from which optionally selective vertical reflectors are extended upwards for reflecting light angularly forward, rearward, sideward and/or radially from intermediate the top reflector and a bottom reflector. Opposite and/or intermediate the vertical reflectors are vacant portions of the shaft to allow emission of light reflected from the vertical reflectors. The shaft is a leg of a cane, crutch, walker or other walking aid. A current source in the walking aid is switched selectively from proximate a handle of the walking aid. The internal light can be steady, pulsatile, incandescent, fluorescent or other type of electrical light. The current source can be storable, chargeable and/or plug-in. The vertical reflectors can be permanent or attachable and adjustable. The shaft can be detachable for use as a light source independently or on selectively different walking aids.
The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention should become even more readily apparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading of the following detailed description in conjunction with the drawings wherein there is shown and described illustrative embodiments of the invention.